Conshohocken Free Library launches puzzle exchange

By M. English, For Digital First Media

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, jigsaw puzzles were valued as inexpensive entertainment, and with disposable income in short supply, libraries rented them to patrons, while some retailers gave them away as buying incentives.

Conshohocken Free Library Branch Manager Marija Skoog is currently looking to build a puzzle exchange at CFL. But Skoog’s motivation isn’t economics. In fact, the reasoning behind her ongoing effort to add to the local library’s jigsaw stash would have been pretty baffling during the Depression era.

To be clear, although Skoog is well aware of the scads of online jigsaw puzzles and puzzle apps available, she’s talking about the traditional, hands-on variety.

“The great thing about [puzzles], they’re a screen-free, battery-free, family friendly activity. In a world where technology is so dominant, I think a lot of parents are looking for a way to unplug their kids, and this is a good way to do that.” – Conshohocken Free Library Branch Manager Marija Skoog